Music at School


gcse music

Year 10 Abstract Music

This term Year 10 GCE Music pupils have been looking at modern classical music like Minimalism and Electronic Music. To prepare for writing a minimalist piece of music they have completed a research based task that looks at the life and works of one modern composer. They have also began to develop some harmonic ideas. To help with this latter task they have been exploring harmony and timbre by writing a short Abstract piece of music using Propellerhead’s Reason 7. Here is their work with each pupil commenting on two of the pieces and making music comparisons between them.


Fusion example

Here is an example of some fusion music:


Club Dance Music Overview

here is another chart giving an overview of club dance music

Club Dance Influences

This is a chart showing the major influences on different types of club dances styles.

Club Dance timeline

Classical Struture: Ternary

Open this file: les-hommes

It is the melody from a piece of Mozart. You’ll see that bars 1-4 (up to the double bar line) is section A. After the double bar line starts a new section for four bars. After that in bar 9 section A is repeated but an octave higher.

With the repeat marks at bar 4 you might write the structure like this:

AABABA – (without the repeat marks it would like this: ABA). This makes the structure Ternary.

Romantic Overview

Here is an overview of music in the Romantic Period: (click image)

Why not try to create your own mind map with essential information?

Classical Overview

Click on the picture below to give you an overview of music in the classical period

Why not try and create your own mind map of essential information?

Minimalist Composers

In America: Terry Riley, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, La Monte Young

In Europe: Louis Andriessen, Michael Nyman, Henryk Górecki, Arvo Pärt

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